Inconvenient
by Life's Crash Test Dummy
Summary: "See, dude, the best part of Fantasy Girl is that she's a fantasy. She's an illusion. Once she becomes a real thing, Nick, that's when everything gets complicated...This isn't a coincidence. It's inconvenient." Kaylicky /Alphabet Challenge-I/


**Title: **Inconvenient

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, obviously, because if I did Cody Longo would have been bumped to series regular before _Brothers and Sisters_ could steal him for a minuscule one-episode stint.

**Rules of the Payson-Nicky-Forever's Challenge:**

1) The two of us are going through the alphabet writing stories using a word that begins with each letter.

2) We both started with 'A', but now alternate. She does 'B' next and I do 'C' and on and on.

3) We get to pick each other's word.

4) All stories have to be at least 500 words in length.

5) We have five days after the other author posts to post the next one.

6) My stories will always be Kaylie/Nicky and hers will always be Payson/Nicky

Once the contest is over, we're going to each put up a poll on our profiles asking people to vote for their favorite story in the contest.

**Author's note: **Y'all probably noticed that Payson-Nicky-Forever didn't post her 'h' and that's because life came into play and prevented an update. Some people aren't lucky enough to still be on summer vacation (like me!) wasting away at movie theaters and karaoke bars and writing constantly. Oh you poor other people. Anyways, here's I!

* * *

**Inconvenient**

She had a knack for crashing into his life at the most inconvenient moments.

The first time, Nicky had been so goddamn certain that Payson Keeler was the one for him. He'd see her and in his eyes there was always a spotlight above her, making her hair look highlighted with gold as she conquered every apparatus she touched. He had been so young and arguably stupid and completely infatuated. There hadn't been a single flaw he could find when it came to the gymnast he once compared to a butterfly, having such grace and power.

On the other hand, Nicky could go on for days about how flawed Kaylie Cruz was especially in the days that followed Nationals. The one glaringly obvious difference, while Nicky saw Payson as a butterfly, Kaylie _gave him_ butterflies. Kaylie was headstrong and stubborn. She put Nicky in his place on more than one occasion and that's something no one, not even his parents, could effectively achieve.

There had been such an affinity between them. From the very start, he shut her down and degraded her because even then he could feel it. He pushed her away because he was afraid. Once they started a compromise, to be civil towards each other, eventually becoming friends and maybe more, that's when the connection between them began testing their self-control. There was no point in putting a name to it or even talking about it. It was something they could simply feel with every accidental brush and every glance that lasted a little too long.

Sadly, the universe tugged them apart just as easily as it forced them together. Their relationship was like a little ship lost at sea, ultimately at the mercy of the weather and the water. If they weren't worried about Payson's reaction, they had to deal with this attraction being potentially career-ruining. For two teenagers, Nicky and Kaylie were both unusually career-oriented. Then again, it's the price to pay to be an elite gymnast.

Both had it drilled into them since an early age that gymnastics always had to come first. Hormones and curiosity and normal teenage activities had to take a backseat to their profession. Their goals and dreams were important, sure, but this growing thing between them proved to be much stronger than anyone could have anticipated.

So Nicky switched gyms. He left Boulder. He disappeared.

Nicky never thought Kaylie would do the same. Then again, she always had to show him up somehow. It was the nature of their relationship, the constant competition between them. Regardless, he never thought she'd take it to the level she did. Not switching gyms or leaving Boulder, but dropping the sport entirely. She quit. She gave up the title. She disappeared into thin air as if by magic.

Some said it was an Anorexia scandal while other circulating rumors suggested Austin Tucker and Kaylie Cruz had an illicit affair. However, in the days that followed the National Champion's fall from grace, the gossip only got more ridiculous. Some even started to involve Sasha and some sort of coach-gymnast illegal activities. Some said steroids and others claimed a pregnancy scare or even an actual pregnancy. Nicky refused to believe anything other than the words that came straight from Kaylie's mouth.

And so he waited.

Nicky liked to think he knew Kaylie. No matter how many years passed without contact with her, he'd always have a sense of who she was. He'd go as far as to think he had a better grasp than her "friends" and even her "family" because he once wore those rose-tinted glasses too. He saw who he wanted her to be instead of just her – just Kaylie. Then the girl always in the pink leotards took those glasses, smashed them with her words and made him see her. Nicky saw the real Kaylie Cruz and she was beautiful.

Nicky knows if Kaylie wants to be found then she will be. If not, then she's denying the world of witnessing such greatness. Nicky always said she did have a way of being a selfish little brat and for once, she would go on to prove him right.

It's been nearly eleven years and Nicky couldn't wait forever.

"Dude, we're in Vegas!"

Twenty-seven-year-old Nicky Russo can't help, but chuckle as he watches his friend jump up and down on the sofa. He runs his hand over his face, grazing his forehead, down the slope of his nose and finally across his slightly scruffy cheeks. It had been bad enough when they first landed and his childhood friend loudly marveled at the millions of flashing lights and larger-than-life setup.

"Not too shabby. Being an Olympic gold medalist certainly has its perks," another friend, Hector, whistles. He gives Nicky a solid pat on the back before he walks towards the window.

Their penthouse suite is gigantic. It's completely furnished with smooth, marble floors and elegant cream-colored walls. It consists of three bedrooms, a king, a queen and a twin, two bathrooms, a living area, dining area and full kitchen. A wall at the far end of the living area is completely glass and overlooks the pride and glory of Las Vegas, the infamous Strip. The suite even has a bowling alley with two lanes.

"This is totally the ultimate place to have a bachelor party!" Twenty-one-year-old Roe Garcia, the youngest of the trio, continues to jump on the furniture, pumping his fist in the air. He's young with dark caramel skin and a buzzcut. He finally stops jumping on the couch and looks over at Nicky, lifting a dark, thick eyebrow. "The future ex-wifey doesn't mind?"

Nicky groans and narrows his eyes. "I thought I told you to stop calling her that!"

Roe just laughs, jumps off the couch, bringing a few throw pillows with him. He doesn't even bother to pick them up, plops his black baseball cap crooked atop his head and runs off with his duffle bag in tow, probably going to claim a room.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about the kid, Nick," sighs twenty-seven-year-old Hector Garcia. He's tall and muscular with broad shoulders and a head of thick, curly hair. His skin has a nice Mediterranean tan and he's clean-shaven all except for a little patch of dark hair right bellow his bottom lip.

"It's cool." Nicky sighs. "What were we supposed to do? Turning the private jet around and take him back to Boulder?"

"Damn stowaway. Kid is stealthy. We should have never let him hang with us and play ninjas when we were kids, huh?" Hector chuckles, playfully elbowing Nicky. "So we'll get ready now, grab some dinner, go see a show and then hit the casinos? How does that sound?"

"Whatever you say," Nicky says, throwing up his hands in the air. "Apparently, I have no say in what happens tonight. God help me."

Roe laughs, poking his head through one of the doors. "Sweet! Hey! Let's go to one of those shows where the knights ride horses and beat the crap out of each other with medieval weapons – no! Wait! CHRIS ANGEL!"

Hector just looks at his younger brother like he's either already trippin' on something or secretly a ten-year-old with ADHD trapped in an adult body. Firmly, Hector replies, "No. We're going to see Le Reve at the Wynn."

Roe deadpans. "Yo. What the fuck is that?"

"It's a show," Hector replies. "There's, get this, aquatic acrobatics and shit."

"Eww," Roe spits. "Why? Nick can do all that shit."

"Yeah, but Nick isn't a hot half-naked chick doing that shit a billion feet in the air one second and then in the water the next, now is he?" Hector shoots back. "Huh. Didn't think so. Plus, my girl gave us the tickets and I promised her we'd go see it."

Roe dramatically rolls his eyes. "Only because she wants to keep us away from the strip clubs. Man, why you guys are all committed and shit makes no sense to me. If you combined both your ages a guy that age would still be pimping."

Nicky and Hector exchange looks and both decide against commenting.

"Yeah, just be ready in fifteen and try not to embarrass me," Hector says, giving Roe a pointed look while the youngest of them shrugs innocently.

While they're all prepping for a night out, Nicky takes the time to text his fiancé and soon-to-be-wife. He tells her that they arrived safely and it's fucking hot, but exciting nonetheless. She texts back, giving him the okay for strippers, but hookers are completely out of the question. If he doesn't listen to her then she promises not to just embarrass him in front of his family by leaving him at the altar, but kicking his ass too. Nicky can't help, but smile at the winking emoticon she tacked onto the end.

They've been together for what seems like forever. After the 2012 Olympics, Nicky put all that energy and focus on being a great gymnast into being the very best boyfriend. He didn't mess around like caged animals newly introduced to the wild. He stuck with his girl. She loves him and she gives him a run for his money, but at the very core of things, she's good to him. It isn't complicated, at least not anymore. A messy history has been ironed out. No religious conflictions. She fought him on taking his last name, but he sees the way her eyes light up at the sound of _Mrs. Russo_. What more can he ask for?

He looks down at the screen of his iPhone and at the photo of him and her, smiling together, happy. Before Nicky even really realizes it, his thumb slides across the screen and he easily accessing his pictures. Under a folder entitled "gymnastics days" and towards the bottom, Nicky finds one picture that makes him unexplainably giddy.

It was taken when he was merely a teenage boy on the first Seventeen Magazine spread his manager forced him into doing. Nick isn't a model, but a gymnast. It didn't make much sense to him back then and, being honest, he still doesn't really understand how MJ managed to swing that, but now. looking back on it, he's glad.

That photo shoot happened to be the pebble on the sidewalk. It tripped him up and sent him stumbling right into Kaylie Cruz, his opposite on the shoot.

Kaylie hid her silent fury rather well, plastering on a wide smile for the camera and Nicky still commends her for it today. He slides his finger across the screen of his phone, marveling at how stunning she looks. Her glowing skin offsets the pure white of her dress and her hair is pinned high in fancy up-do. Beside her, Nicky stands, looking uncomfortable in a black and white tuxedo. The magazine just ran the best shots and prayed the general public would just focus on their combined through-the-roof hotness – which they did.

If Nicky could go back, he'd certainly do things differently. He wouldn't have criticized and instead helped – which is what he later tried to do until things got a little too intimate. Above all, Nicky never would have left. It's one of his biggest regrets.

"Hey Nick!" There's a knock at his door. "Ready?"

"Yeah, just about," Nicky quickly replies. With the press of a button, the picture quickly disappears and the screen of his phone goes blank.

"You okay?" Hector asks, adjusting the cuff of his blazer.

"Fine."

"Ah, checking in with the future Mrs. Russo?" Hector asks, grinning. "No sexting tonight. You're with the boys."

"Yeah, sure," Nicky distractedly replies. "Oh, and she said no hookers or I'm dead."

Nicky forces a smile and expects Hector to burst into laughter. When he doesn't and instead gives Nicky a serious look, the retired gymnast sighs and nervously plays with the heavy, chrome watch around his wrist. Hector moves deeper into the king bedroom and Nicky really wishes Hector won't press it.

"You okay, man?" he asks, concerned.

"Of course. It's my bachelor party!" Nicky says, trying to come off more enthusiastic than he actually feels. "Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm better than okay."

"Well, man, that doesn't explain the broody face you're making right now," Hector points out. He squints and Nicky just looks away. "Nick, we've been bros since we were kids. I even beat up the assholes in the neighborhood that teased you for choosing gymnastics over everything else. I know that look, dude. You only go broody face…when…when you're thinking of _her_."

Nicky doesn't regret much when it comes to Hector, but now he does. He shouldn't have spoken of Kaylie. It only leads to conversations like this one.

"Drop it, Hector."

"Dude, she's gone."

Nicky sighs. "I know. Now forget it."

"Nick, I don't want to fight, okay? As your friend, I'm telling you it just looks sort of bad. Right before the wedding and thinking of your Fantasy Girl. Not good, Nick. Is it cold feet?"

"No." Nicky groans. "You don't get it."

"I don't get it?" Hector asks. "Aren't you forgetting I'm the guy who fell for a girl that ditched him the second some rich kid threw her a dime? It sucked, but I got over it and I fell in love with someone else. You got over your shit and you found someone else. You're getting married, Nick. _You_ forget it. Forget her."

"Yeah, but see," Nicky says tensely, "Kaylie didn't ditch me. _I_ ditched _her_."

Hector just shakes his head with something that looks like disappointment and Nicky looks away, trying to convince himself he never saw it to begin with.

"Alright!" Roe's voice interrupts the tense silence. He walks in with a wide grin. "I'm looking fly if I do say so myself! Do people still say fly?" Roe looks at his brother and their friend, realizing the awkward moment he's walked into. "Whoa. Something's wrong."

"No. It's fine."

"Hector—"

"Consider it dropped, Nick." Hector gives his friend a slap on the back. "Let's go."

By the time the boys leave the suite and ride down the elevator, it's like all that hostility simply evaporated. They're joking and laughing and excited for the night. Their limo is waiting right outside and they go to one of the best steakhouses in the entire country. It's warm outside, but the sun is long gone so it makes it okay to walk around after they finish dinner. Roe gets some drunken girl to flash him outside the MGM and they run for the limo when the girl's meathead boyfriend in a wifebeater starts chasing them.

They're laughing and draining the limo's liquor bar on their way to the Wynn. It's one of the most prestigious hotels in all of Las Vegas. The president of operations comes down to the floor to personally greet Nicky and then they're shown to the theater, grab a couple drinks at the bar and head in to their seats.

The theater itself is stunning. It's a circular theater and at the center is an actual pool where the performers will be. At the center of the pool is a single bed. The lights are all moody, blues and greens, giving the theater a mysterious aspect to it. The audience is starting to fill and Nicky and Hector laugh quietly, amused as they watch Roe flirting with an older woman in a sequin dress sitting beside him. The lights suddenly dim and the show begins.

The music is loud and dramatic, classical and classy. Lights pour down on the stage in blue and fuchsia rays. Water starts shooting out from the ground and Roe nearly jumps in his seat at the spectacle. The performers make their appearance, all clothed in whimsical and elaborate costumes. As the show goes on, the performers show off their acrobatic and aerial work on wires and synchronized swimming with evident gymnastics training and choreography. Even Nicky is impressed.

It begins with a young woman submerging into bed and losing herself in a dream. There's something about the main girl that has Nicky completely mesmerized. He can't take his eyes off of her as he leans forward in his seat with his elbows rested on his knees. There's something about the way she moves, her extensions and the control in her muscles. Just watching her fills Nicky with such a familiar thrill.

"Holy shit! Did you see that?" Roe yells excitedly and grabs at his brother's shirt, trying to get his attention. Hector glares and pushes him away and the people sitting in their section look rather annoyed. Nicky has lost the main girl in the mass of performers and turns to his two friends. "The hottie that just did that sweet quadruple front flip into the water is so a ten!"

Hector rolls her eyes. "That's what you said about the last three girls in the red shoes."

"And one turned out to be a dude," Nicky adds.

One performer does a back handspring off a platform nearly twenty feet in the air, but instead of landing in the water, two men catch her. The audience shares a gasp and clap.

"Did you see that?" Roe shouts. Everyone around him hushes him, but he doesn't pay them any attention.

Hector shakes his head. "I still give her a 8.5."

The main girl reappears and Nicky perks up again. He looks at her with her dark hair pulled back as she rushes around the stage, slick with water and wearing a smile. Then she does _that_ and Nicky just _knows_. She flawlessly pulls off a Double Arabian as if it comes second nature to her and it makes the hundreds of people watching erupt in cheers. Even everyday people know talent when they see it.

"Now she is a ten, right?" Roe asks, softer this time, awestruck.

"Definitely." Hector gasps.

Nicky feels his sweaty hands trembling in his lap. He can't believe his eyes.

"K…Kaylie…"

Roe is in a trance, but Hector composes himself enough to turn to Nicky and give his old friend a sharp look. Nicky's so captivated that he doesn't even recognize the worry and the disbelief in Hector's eyes. Without another word, Nicky stands up as if that single action would make her aware of his presence. It only succeeds in pissing off everyone around him since all 5'11" of him stands in their line of sight. When angry whispers don't seem to work, Hector stands, dragging Nicky up the steps and to the nearest exit.

"Nick, you don't want to do this, man."

"Hector, let go of me!"

"Are we leaving already?" Roe asks confusedly, chasing after them. He keeps looking over his shoulder and stealing glances at the show that's going on as they speak. It takes Roe a few seconds to realize that there's an entirely different show going on right before his eyes, starring Nicky Russo and Hector Garcia.

"Nick, don't even think about it," Hector warns.

"Don't think about what?" Roe asks, still confused.

"See, dude, the best part of Fantasy Girl is that she's a fantasy. She's an illusion," Hector lectures. When it doesn't look like his words are reaching Nicky, Hector grabs him by the shoulders and gives him a harsh shake. "Once she becomes a real thing, Nick, that's when everything gets complicated."

"So I'm supposed to pretend that I didn't find her, go off, get wasted and then married?" Nicky asks, obviously unstable. He shoves Hector away from him and his hands curl into fists.

"That's the general idea, Nick. It's a bachelor party and she isn't yours," Hector says firmly. "Your girl is waiting back in Boulder, trusting you not to fuck everything up right before the wedding. This isn't a coincidence. It's inconvenient. It's trouble. Nick, let's just walk away right now."

Roe frowns. "But the show isn't ov—"

"Just hear me out, Hector," Nicky says, cutting off Roe and not even realizing it. "You know I'm not the type to believe in coincidence or fate or any of that bull, but how perfect is it that I find her when I'm not even looking for her? I can't ignore that, man. It'd be stupid to. Just let me go do what I need to do."

"And what is that?"

"I just want to talk to her," he replies. Hector scoffs and Nicky glares. "I mean it."

"You know, before we left Boulder, I asked your girl if she wanted me to look out for you," Hector says. "And she said no because she _trusts_ you."

"And she has good reason to," Nicky says. "You trust me, Hector. I just want to talk to her."

"Hector, dude," Roe cuts in. "It's Nick. He's good on his word, bro. You know that better than anyone. Let's just go hit the casino, throw some craps and let Nick do what he's got to do."

Hector looks Nicky right in the eye and sighs loudly.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, huh?" Hector lets up, shrugging his shoulders. "Just get her out of your system and keep in mind that you've already got a girl, a girl _perfect_ for you waiting. Purposefully fucking that up – now that would be stupid, Russo."

Nicky nods eagerly and Hector sighs again before he pulls aside the nearest usher.

"Hey," Hector says in his best schmoozer voice, roping his arm around the young usher. "I don't know if you know this, but Nicholas Russo – Olympic gold medalist Nicholas Russo – is in the audience tonight and he's just so impressed by the performance that he was wondering if a meet and greet with the performers would be possible."

"I can ask my supervisor, for sure, sir," the usher replies. "Anyone in particular?"

"Yeah," Hector says, looking right over at his nervous friend. There's a warning in his eyes, but Hector forces his doubts to the back of his head and goes on, "Fantasy Girl – the main character. She's the one."

The boys go back to their seats to finish off the show and Nicky can't help, but be a complete wreck. He keeps fiddling with his watch and this entire show has become an obsessive game of Where's Waldo? He studies her movement and the fluidity of it. Everything from the expressions on her face to the way she makes it less about perfecting the tricks (even though her tricks are perfect) and more about telling the story. She's advanced so far beyond that teenage girl in the pink leotard. She's become more than a gymnast. Kaylie Cruz is an artist.

The show closes out with an insane, high-energy routine where people are flipping off platforms in winding patterns and the lights are flashing strategically. Kaylie stands on the highest platform and she looks as if she was made to do this. After the show, everyone is raving with good remarks and the director comes out to meet Nicky. Roe and Hector take off with the limo, probably to wreak havoc on the City of Sin and the director takes Nicky backstage.

The entire walk there, they make pleasant conversation though not a single word registers with him. Nicky's too busy thinking about how this meeting, the first one in eleven years, will go over. He can imagine her running the second she lays eyes on him. He can imagine her pretending to be someone else, like they've never met and fallen before. Nicky almost regrets barging in on her apparently new and different lifestyle. Then he sees her and his ability to think is disabled.

"Hmm," she purrs. Her voice sounds exactly the same, a little scratchy, but high-pitch and cheery. "They said world famous Olympic gymnast Nicholas Russo wanted to personally meet with me and I have no idea why."

"Kaylie." He's only able to murmur her name before he crosses the room to embrace her. Nicky brings his arms around her, holding her tight. He ignores the way she doesn't hug him back, but then, she doesn't push him off either. Nicky breathes in the scent of her, taking note of how it feels to hold her again. Slowly his hand makes its way up through her chestnut brown hair and finally he feels her tiny hands gripping his shoulders.

"I take it you've missed me," Kaylie says lightly. Her forehead rests against the column of his neck and it scares the both of them how perfectly they fit together.

"I have," Nicky whispers back. As he pulls away, Nicky faintly hears the director make some excuse to leave the two of them alone, but he isn't really paying attention to know for sure. "So Vegas, huh?"

Kaylie takes a small step away and Nicky notices how she's still wearing her drenched red dress from earlier, but with a white, fluffy robe over it. She laughs and says, "I appreciate how casual you're being, but I can't help, but feel a lecture coming."

"No lecture. The last thing I want to do is fight or scare you off," he admits, shyly tucking his hands into his pockets. Kaylie has this look on her face, like she's emotionally melting and Nicky can't help, but beam. "How about coffee?"

"How about some real food?" she asks instead.

Nicky laughs softly. "Perfect."

"Cool." Kaylie nods. "Let me change out of this and we can, um, get going."

She goes towards the dressing rooms, but Nicky quickly takes two giant steps over to her and catches her hand. He quickly notices the way she stiffens at his touch, but then she turns back and looks at Nicky and it may be his imagination but it's as if simply seeing him makes her eyes light up. She runs her thumb over his knuckles and gives his hand a warm squeeze.

"Kaylie, don't disappear on me," he says roughly. The look in his eyes plainly tells Kaylie that if she actually denies him or even worse, lies to him, Nicky will completely fall to pieces.

She gives him a toothy smile. "I'd hate myself even more if I did."

Nicky gives her hand one last squeeze before he finally lets her go. He keeps his eyes on her and counts every time she tosses him a look over her shoulder – four. When she finally disappears around a corner, Nicky laughs softly to himself and brushes his fingers through his dark hair. They may look older, more mature and grown up, but being with her, being that close to Kaylie Cruz, makes Nicky feel sixteen all over again.

When Kaylie rejoins him, her dark brown hair is down and blown dry. Nicky can see the pink tank top she's wearing beneath her pea coat, which both isn't surprising and is rather comforting. Nicky offers her his arm and Kaylie smiles before she links hers through his. They walk out of the hotel and around back where her car is parked. Nicky almost laughs when he sees the rusted white (off-white?) Toyota Tercel.

"Wow," Nicky murmurs. He drags his fingers across the hood of the car, whistling. "Your shiny silver convertible would probably be completely heartbroken to know this is what you drive these days. What year is it?"

"Betsy is a '78 Toyota Tercel," Kaylie explains, grinning broadly. "I bought her with my first paycheck I got, performing in the Circus Circus side act in front of the games booths."

"Well, you've certainly traded up jobs," Nicky says. "Why not cars?"

"I don't think you understand, Russo," Kaylie says, manually unlocking the passenger side door before she goes around to the driver's side and does the same. "Betsy is the first thing I've ever earned. My parents didn't buy her. No sponsors gave her to me. I went to a dealership myself, signed the papers and everything."

Kaylie gets behind the wheel and Nicky pulls his door open and looks in cautiously.

"What's wrong?" Kaylie asks.

"I don't exactly know if this thing you call Betsy is made for more than one," Nicky says teasingly. Kaylie just rolls her eyes and cranks the engine as Nicky slides in and slams the door. "Wow. You even have to manually roll down the windows. Talk about ancient."

"Tease all you want," Kaylie says. "Bestsy is apart of me."

Nicky scrunches up his face in confusion. "And why did you name your car? Who does that?"

Kaylie scoffs. "Says the guy who named his trampoline."

"Yeah, when I was seven," Nicky quickly clarifies. "So where are we going anyways?"

"Tacos," Kaylie replies, her mouth practically watering.

"Like Taco Bell?" Nicky asks curiously.

Kaylie just laughs. "Welcome to Las Vegas, Russo."

They drive away from the Strip and away from the casinos and come to a white building with red trim, surrounded by empty parking lots. Tacos Mexico is printed in simple red, block letters on the building's sign. To be honest, Nicky thinks the place is a complete dive. He's used to eating at critically acclaimed restaurants and bistros and here he is at a drive-thru taco place where everything on the menu is in Spanish and the tacos are only a dollar each.

Kaylie doesn't even ask him if he wants anything. She doesn't even have to order. The Tercel just clunks up to the window and Kaylie makes conversation with the girl at the register as if they're the oldest friends in the world. She gets handed a heavy white package in exchange for money and then they're off again, back to the hotel. They sneak in through the back and take the service elevator up to the suites.

"This is it. Home sweet home," Kaylie says, throwing open the door and carefully placing her plastic keycard back into its rightful place in her purse. She shrugs out of her coat and drapes it over a chair at the dinning room table.

Nicky surveys the place. It's nicer than where you'd imagine a Las Vegas performer to be living at. It has a kitchen, a dinning room, a living area and a single bedroom. It looks like every other room, except more lived in. There are mugs half-filled with cold coffee on the coffee table along with miscellaneous sheets of paper and envelopes. Shoes are spilling out of the closet near the door and boxes of cereal line the kitchen counter.

Kaylie sighs and moves over to the couch in the living room, setting down her white paper bag on the coffee table and sitting cross-legged on the floor. Nicky plops down on the couch, watching Kaylie rip through the white paper bag like a starving animal.

"You know," she murmurs, "When I was a kid I always thought it'd be the coolest thing to live in a hotel."

"Yeah?" Nicky asks, "And how's that working out for you?"

"It's good." Kaylie nods. "Lonely. But good."

Nicky feels her familiar voice tugging at his heartstrings. Slowly, he moves from the couch to sit beside her on the floor. Without even thinking about it, Nicky's hand moves to rest on her thigh. At the contact, Kaylie's gaze shoots over to him. Nicky only smiles gently.

"Cruz, are you gonna share those tacos or am I just meant to watch you eat them?"

"Oh. You can have some, but I need to explain that there's a certain protocol to eating a Tacos Mexico Taco," she says very seriously. Nicky can't help, but laugh just a little. She tears through the layer of foil and then the layer of wax paper to reveal simple flour tortillas containing pieces of carne asada meat, a sprinkle of onions and cilantro. Kaylie shows him how to squeeze a little lemon onto the taco and sprinkle a pinch of salt on in before eating.

Nicky takes a bite, not expecting much, but once the flavors hit him, he groans in delight.

"Not Taco Bell, huh?" Kaylie giggles, nursing her own taco.

Nicky nods. "Definitely not Taco Bell."

The two go on to eat and talk. She shares about how much she loves Vegas and Nicky tells her what's changed in Boulder. By the time they're popping off beer bottle caps and using those extra limes, Nicky gets her to talk about why she disappeared and she confirms the Anorexia rumor, but denies all the others. The look in her eyes as she describes her fall at Worlds and waking up in the hospital, something in Nicky twists uncomfortable. He'd almost rather the Austin Tucker rumor be the real one. Almost.

She needed a change, a new start. His sixteen-year-old self would probably scoff at her and tell her it was a stupid move, that she gave up such potential, but the Nicky of the present, the one that saw her performing out on that circular stage, he not only understands, but respects her. He looks cool and collected on the outside, but internally, he's scared shitless at how easy this is, how they're talking like old friends, like they haven't been completely out of each other's orbits for more than ten years. It scares him to be near her, but nothing could get him to leave her either.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone," Nicky murmurs.

"Don't worry. I wasn't alone. My parents actually put aside their differences long enough to get me through it and healthy again," Kaylie explain. She chokes up a bit and simply tilts her glass bottle to her lips, taking a long sip. "I think going off on my own was for the best. Getting some breathing space from Boulder. It was sort of something I had to do on my own though. You don't realize how dependent you are on people until they aren't there."

"Or until they disappear and then you find your way back to them," Nicky says tenderly. He doesn't realize how intently he's staring at her until her dark brows lift a bit and her bottom lip trembles. He brings his hand up to caress her cheek and Kaylie leans into his touch, closing her eyes for a moment.

Something snaps in Nicky as he takes in the sight of this beautiful woman in front of him. He feels her soft skin against his hand and he both feels and hears the soft sigh that escapes her lips. Something sharp pierces through him and it feels too much like shame, a lot like guilt. Hector had made about a dozen valid points earlier in the evening.

"_You know, before we left Boulder, I asked your girl if she wanted me to look out for you. And she said no because she _trusts_ you." _

As much as it pains him to even consider cheating on his fiancé with the girl of his dreams – his Fantasy Girl – it doesn't scare him nearly as much as the thought of lying to Kaylie, officially making her into _the other woman_ without even letting her know about it. What kind of man does that make him?

"I should go," Nicky mutters.

"No. Stay." Her plea sounds a lot like begging and he feels a crack in his iron resolve.

"Kaylie, I can't. I—I'm getting married," he confesses. Nicky watches as her eyes fly open and she immediately pulls away from his caress. Nicky stares down at the carpet and goes on. "Tonight was, ah, supposed to be my bachelor party, but then I saw you and…here we are."

"Oh."

There's silence and things haven't been so tense between them since practicing for their bullfight floor routine for the 2009-2010 Open House.

Kaylie frowns. "Wait, let me get this straight."

"Kaylie, don't—"

"So it's essentially your last moments of freedom and you choose to spend them with _me_?" Kaylie asks. It isn't anger or irritation in her voice. Wonderment, maybe. Confusion, definitely. "What does that mean, Nicky?"

He opens his mouth, but then immediately closes it. It isn't something he's given much thought to. Honestly, when going to Denver all those years ago, Nicky took everything about Kaylie Cruz, her scent, the way her hips felt between his hands when he lifted her, his ridiculous affinity towards her and filed it all away in the back of his head. Now it seems his mental file cabinet has burst.

"I don't know, Kaylie."

At the very least, it's the truth.

"Is she someone I know?" Kaylie asks. Before Nicky can even think of the easiest way to tell her, Kaylie violently shakes her head, her dark locks whipping across her face. "No. Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Are you sure?" Nicky asks, slightly amused.

"Of course I'm sure," Kaylie snaps. "No means no, Nicky."

It may not be the most appropriate time, but Nicky finds himself laughing softly. Kaylie looks at him confusedly and he only grins back at her in return. "You know, you're the first person who's called me Nicky in a long time."

He's absolutely beaming and Kaylie can't help, but smile back just a bit. Nicky brings his eyes back down and he sees her hand in a tense fist against the carpet fibers. Nicky slowly brings his hand over to cover hers and it surprises even him that she doesn't pull away.

There's just something about Kaylie Cruz that even after all these years, she can still illicit an unconscious reaction from him. He doesn't even realize he's doing anything until he feels her skin beneath his and the salty sweet scent of her fills his nostrils. Exhibit A – making her do those reverse push-ups while "training." Later contemplation revealed to Nicky that he had been totally hitting on her whether he knew it at the time or not.

"Nicky," she breathes his name. "I don't want you to regret anything."

"A little too late," he chuckles humorlessly. Feeling the impact of his words, Kaylie tries to pull her hand away, but he won't let her. Nicky's eyes soften and he tilts his head to the side. "Do you think if I never left for Denver, things would have been different?"

Kaylie realizes what he's saying, relaxes and takes a moment to think before she replies, "I don't know."

Nicky nods. It's all she can offer and it's all he can ask for.

They talk a while longer and finish off their drinks. Nicky tries to leave at least three more times, but they both know he isn't going anywhere tonight. They both end up in her bed beneath the cover of darkness, but there's no touching, no moaning and no tearing off of clothes. They talk about quiet things no one else would care to know like how when she was seven she tried to dye her hair pink to match her My Little Pony and how Nicky can pull off the most difficult gymnastics tricks known to man, but he failed his road test to get his license three times.

When she feels herself drifting off to sleep, Kaylie turns onto her side to face Nicky, her burrowed beneath the covers and him lying atop. Their eyes meet and her hand goes to his face, much like he had done to her earlier. Nicky closes his eyes, trying to savor this and commit this feeling to memory. He never wants this moment, this fantasy, this illusion, to end and he just lies there, feeling his heart slam against his chest with each thud.

"Nicky," she whispers sleepily. "When I wake up tomorrow morning, you need to disappear. I want you to promise me that you'll have a great, happy life and that you won't come back here again."

Nicky groans. "Don't, Kaylie. Don't make me promise that."

"Nicky, please." She gives him that damn pout that drives him crazy.

"God, still stubborn as always, huh?" Nicky grunts. "Fine. I promise."

"Thank you. Oh and whoever she is, she's a lucky girl and I want you to know that I really do mean that," Kaylie says sincerely.

"And for the record, you are amazing on stage," he says. It feels like the first time he's complimented her ever mostly because it is. "When you first disappeared I was admittedly upset and I called you selfish, having all this potential and refusing to share it with the world. Then I saw you tonight and I realized that I was wrong, that you're touching people on an even larger scale. Seeing you do what you do and that look on your face while you were doing it, better than anything coated in gold. And I don't agree with what you want me to do, but I'll do it for you."

Kaylie fights a frown and lets her hand train down his shoulder and outline his muscular arm before entwining their hands one final time.

"It was really nice seeing you tonight," she says, struggling to keep her voice stable. "Goodnight, Nicky."

"Bye, Kaylie."

Nicky swears he sees her eyes glaze over with tears as she shifts so that her back is facing him. He slams his eyes shut and tries hard not to make a sound. He already has a significant other. He has a fiancé. Both Nicky and Kaylie know that this world they somehow create whenever they're together will no longer exists once the sun comes up. Nicky has to go back to Boulder and Kaylie stays in Vegas. For tonight though, Nicky brings his arm around Kaylie's flat stomach and holds her tight as they both dream of what could and couldn't be.

While Hector and Roe go back to Boulder, relaxed and rejuvenated, Nicky is a complete mess. He ruminates and complains and lists 'what ifs' in his head. It comes as a surprise to almost everyone when Nicky calls off the wedding. At least he had the decency to sit her down and talk to her and he didn't wait until they were up at the altar, reciting vows. Nicky realizes that even when he told himself he was moving on, he had still been waiting. He waited eleven years for Kaylie Cruz to crash into his life again and he can't stand to wait another second.

The very next day, Nicky rushes back to Vegas. He spends the entire plane ride deciding what he should say to Kaylie. First he would apologize for breaking his promise because he knows her and it's the first thing she'll try to call him out on. Her initial reaction is always defensiveness or anger or sometimes a mixture of both. Then he'll tell her about the wedding being off and that he needs to be with her. While the rest of the world regards him as Nicholas Russo, Olympic gold medalist or Nick, retired gymnast extreme, she makes him feel like Nicky again and he's pretty sure he can bring out the annoyed, bratty princess in her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Russo, but Kaylie is no longer with us," the director apologizes. Nicky feels a wave of dread pass through him. He's felt heartache before, but this, hearing those words, is a complete, messy break. "I don't know where she's gone. To better things, hopefully. Damn, that girl was talent. Recasting is going to be a bitch."

Kaylie Cruz had this knack for crashing into his life at the most inconvenient moments.

The second time brought him back to life only to shatter him days later. However, once the initial disappointment subsides, Nicky feels something like warmth and determination spread through him. This time is different. Nicky swears it is. He doesn't break down and cry.

This time, Nicky doesn't wait. He chases after her.

_Fini_

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**Author's note:** Tacos Mexico is a real place in Vegas! It is a complete dive. I wouldn't advise eating inside, but the tacos are SO GOOD and so cheap and there is a protocol. I go to Vegas maybe twice a year and every time I'm there we go to Tacos Mexico like at least three times, all at 1 AM. Haha

**#SPOILER**: Let's talk about this latest episode! My favorite scene had to where Sasha makes Payson do her floor routine with the paint. That was just such a beautiful and honest moment and what she created was amazing. I officially don't dig Austin/Kaylie. I told myself I would give it a while, but, meh, not a fan of the ship. I could rant to you about my logic behind the dislike if you ask. So many FML moments this episode! And Carter kills me. He broke two girls, one friendship and he isn't even hot! Can I get an Amen? Speaking of Amen, Summer's little mental happy dance she did when she was snooping in Sasha's tin can and then Sasha's face when she asked to say grace. Lol! Priceless.

Anyways, please review. Let's talk some MIOBI.


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